1 Whenever I would heal Israel, Ephraim's iniquity is laid bare, and Samaria's evil deeds; for they practice deceit: a thief gets in, a band of raiders strips the street.
2 They never tell themselves that I remember all their wickedness; now their deeds hem them in; they are right before my face.
3 They delight the king with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4 All of them are adulterers, like an oven fired by a baker, who leaves off stoking it from the kneading of the dough until it has risen.
5 On our king's day the princes made themselves sick with fever from wine; he joined hands with mockers.
6 For they have brought their heart near like an oven in their plotting; all night their baker sleeps; by morning it burns like a flaming fire.
7 They are all as hot as an oven, and they consume their judges; all their kings have fallen; not one of them calls to me.
8 Ephraim blends himself in among the peoples; Ephraim has become a flat cake left unturned.
9 Foreigners have eaten up his strength, and he does not realize it; gray hair has crept over him, and he does not realize it.
10 The pride of Israel bears witness against him to his face, yet they have not returned to the LORD their God, nor sought him in spite of all this.
11 Ephraim has become like a dove, easily fooled and senseless; to Egypt they call, to Assyria they go.
12 Wherever they go, I will cast my net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky; I will discipline them as was announced to their assembly.
13 Woe to them, for they have fled from me! Destruction is theirs, for they have revolted against me! I would have redeemed them, but they tell lies about me.
14 They have not cried out to me with their heart when they howl on their beds; they gather themselves together for grain and new wine; they turn aside against me.
15 It was I who trained them and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.
16 They turn back, but not to the Most High; they have become like a slack bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue; for this they will be mocked in the land of Egypt.